Shingles and MS
 

I went to the doctor today only to find out I have shingles! :( (a small patch of 6 bumps under my armpit)

I'm on Tysabri and get my infusion every 8 weeks. My last infusion was November 10 so I am assuming I have plenty of time to recover. The doc gave me Valtrex.

Is there anything in particular I should know about MS and shingles? Any suggestions on how to manage? Anything "natural" to use along with the Valtrex?

I have never had shingles and am not a happy camper right now. :(

Thanks for any help you can give!!

Sorry Natalie..ugh! Shingles and MS come from the same herpes virus, IMHO, and we usually end up with both at one time or another..:mad:

Take your valtrex and whatever for pain and just ride it out. The Valtrex will help it go away a bit faster, I think.

My sympathies..:hug:

lucky you, you have Valtrex!

When I had shingles, I didnt know what it was, and it was on the side of my chest, in an area that I didnt want people to see, so I never went to the doctor for it. It really hurt, because my bra strap when over it and irritated it. Still have the scars from it. (I also had mono and strep at around the same time. I was an unhappy camper that winter)

It was only years later that I saw pictures of shingles and went..."hey...that looks/sounds familiar!"

Hope you recover quick!

Well, Natalie, I guess you'd just as well make the most of your shingles and start a roofing business. :D

Oh that was baaad -- sorry!!! :rolleyes:

Sorry about your stupid shingles -- that stinks! I hope its a mild case for you, friend. :hug: Feel better!!! :)

Did you call your neuro to let him/her know? It's important when we have things like this come up to let them know...
hope your med works quickly!!:hug:

I've heard people say they use lidoderm patches for the pain. They are rx and not cheap! I had chicken pox as a kid, its the same virus, waiting for the shingles.

Ouch!!!

I have heard that Shingles are nasty and painful. I had adult chicken pox at 28 and often wonder if shingles will come to me at some stage - I hope not. MS visited me a couple of years after the chicken pox, I had 'Mono' or glandular fever as it is known in Aus years ago

Interesting that these rotten things all seem to be linked.

I hope you aren''t in too much pain.

Lyn

Exactly, and as soon as they find the missing link, we will have a cure. In the meantime, big pharma is not interested..:mad:

Hope the shingles clear up soon, Natalie. :hug::hug::hug:

fyi, there's a shingles vaccine available for folks over the age of 60.

also, please know that shingles are VERY contagious but i can't remember for how long. i hope your dr discussed that with you. i'm sure you could google it and get the info.

i hope your's clears up quickly and you're not in too much pain.

Hi all. I had shingles on my R thigh in 2 dermatomes. It felt just like bad paresthesias so I was surprised when the lesions broke out.

You can use topical steroids to prevent scarring but I don't know if they even let Tysabri patients have topical steroids.

And, yes, you can spread the virus to anyone who never had chicken pox but not easily. Just keep the lesions covered.

Best to you,
ANN

I don't have much advice for you as I have never had shingles. However, my MS hug gets real nervy and the pain is horrible. They liken that pain to shingles. Therefore, many hugs for you and I hope you start feeling better soon. (Of note, when my hug is causing nerve pain I find ice helps tremendous in dealing with the pain. You may try some by your armpit and see if that helps.)

Let us know how you are doing.:hug:

I had shingles three years ago, from hip to foot. I could barely walk and they were looking for another cause, but finally the medics took me to the ER for the 3rd time and Dr. Chadwick figured it out (he is the best at dx). Valtrex fixed it but I felt someone was sawing off my leg. I think I got it from taking Hydrea, which is chemo for polycythemia Vera. It let the chicken pox virus loose.

But Sally, please explain what it means that MS and Shingles come from the same Herpes virus. Now that is one I have NOT heard. Is that a new theory or an old one?

I have been having spasticity in that leg, in the same calf where it happened, and in the foot, but it is not as painful as Shingles, which was as bad as childbirth.

In the hospital I was in the same bed as the one where my husband died two months later on January 6, 2009. I had no idea what that room would mean to me. I slept in a bed next to his for twelve nights, through Christmas and until the day he died. I am glad I had the opportunity to sleep in that room....I noticed that it had an extra bed when I was there three nights with the Shingles. I had to use a walker for two months after the Shingles, just was getting over it when he died.

That's a very old theory, Mariel, but I think, since we MSers are usually plagued by all the illnesses caused by the same herpes virus, it still holds a good argument..:)

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. I had a horrible reaction to Valtrex. By the 3rd day I could hardly urinate (really painful having a full bladder that can't release--I'm sure MS patients with neurogenic bladders know about that!) and I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. The doctor said stop taking it. After it got out of my system I could urinate again...yeah!! And then weirdly I wasn't depressed anymore (I think that is a side effect too).

But then the shingles started coming back. Ugh. So I had to call the doc on Sunday and was prescribed Famvir, another anti-viral. It's drying up the shingles like the Valtrex did and it is far more tolerable--vice grip headaches is the only real problem but I can tough that out for a week.

I get Tysabri in 2 weeks so I need to get this straightened out! The doc said it was likely stress that caused it. And there is a lot of that. My husband had emergency back surgery 3 weeks ago from a severe herniated disc and the pain is gone but he now has serious drop foot that may never go away. The doc just can't give an answer. :( His two teenagers moved in with us full time a few months ago because their mom basically abandoned them. So they are still damaged and depressed. And I had lots of big important work deadlines to meet this fall. So taa-daaaa! Shingles for the first time.

Glad you found a better drug, Natalie. I wasn't depressed on Valtrex, possibly because it felt so good to have the pain be going away. That WAS the worst pain there is, in my experience. Puts everything in perspective.

Okay, this is the never ending case of shingles and I'm getting a little freaked out! I took the new drug and the shingles on my side dried up. A couple of days after stopping the drug a blister popped up on my hand. Several days later one popped up on my knee!

I'm supposed to get Tysabri tomorrow and my GP is still out for the holidays. So I emailed my neuro -- he said it didn't sound like shingles but asked for photos!! Technology is amazing! After seeing them he said "ok, this looks convincing." No Tysabri tomorrow because he said it might be multi-systemic and I have to see the GP as soon as possible and report back.

I'm anxious because I get Tysabri every 8 weeks. I'm worried about what will happen if I go beyond 8 weeks. I'm also panicked the shingles will keep spreading (the Internet is a dangerous place--I had to stop reading about "disseminated shingles in immunocompromised patients."). Ergh......

Has anyone ever had random shingles crop up in other places? Trying to take a deep breath.....

OMG Natalie, how awful. :( So you and Neuro think that TY may be the culprit here, huh? That stinks, since TY is otherwise helping you.:(

I've never heard of this recurring Shingles. I'm going to go read up on it. If you stop the Ty for awhile and take an antiviral, will the shingles eventially subside?

You are in my prayers. I hope you heal soon.:hug:

I saw the GP today. She does not think it's shingles but pustules that could be caused by staph. So I have to wash with Hibiclens for 3 weeks daily and decolonize my nose with antibiotic ointment. But I am good to go on Tysabri for Thurs. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!! :)

I'm glad that things are working out for you Natalie and that you can get your Ty on Thursday.:hug: I hope the infection clears up quickly for you.

Sheesh Natalie..serious hugs for you hon:grouphug::grouphug:

You've got more than your share to deal with lately...

I had staph (MRSA variety) in my nose about 5yrs ago. I had to have my nose swabbed 3 times (once a month) to check for MRSA and get a negative result for MRSA three times before they'd declare me cured of MRSA. I think I also had to have my throat swabbed at the same time to make sure it wasnt anywhere else too.

Staph (not necessarily the MRSA variety) lives naturally in your nose. Usually isnt a problem unless you're on a lot of antibiotics (which I was that year)

My dad had staph infection last winter. (he's a nurse, and probably got it from a patient one day in the hospital...scratched his hand on a gurney. The patient didnt have the MRSA variety tho) His staph infection took hold pretty quick too. He scratched his hand one morning, that night I noticed he had a big red mark on his hand and mentioned it to him. The next morning his hand (index and middle finger right at the knuckles) hurt really bad. He went to work and showed it to one of his doctor friends and immediately got dragged into an exam room and had his hand cleaned out and got put on antibiotics...and sent home for a week. (they never did a swab to see if it was MRSA, the doctor said that he was assuming it was and gave him bactrim antibiotic ointment and oral antibiotics. I guess they didnt want to have to have a big OSHA investigation if they'd made it an "official" diagnosis. They just gave him what they'd give for MRSA infections.)

My dad had been a nurse longer than I've been alive (I'm 42) and he'd never gotten an infection like that before. My mom and I were afraid to touch him for a few weeks. Wouldnt let him cook for us for awhile either, we were both creeped out. (and we like to eat out a lot, so we went out a lot)

Staph is really nasty, takes effect quickly sometimes. My aunt got bit by her cat about 10yrs ago on the index finger, and within 2 hrs had a raging infection in her hand that was so bad she had to have surgery to clean her arm out. (they had to cut it from the index finger to her elbow to clean out the infection), and her infection wasnt MRSA. (she doesnt have that cat anymore...gave it away)

Hope your infection wasnt the nasty kind and goes away quick! What antibiotic ointment did you get? Bactrim?? That stuff smells funny, but it works fast!

I had shingles (I do not have a diagnose of MS) I came across this web site. 1st time I had it (both time on my eyelid and forehead/scalp) I was given valtrex. I got it again and took Tagament and I think it helped or atleast lessend the pain and duration. Either way, interesting.

http://www.encognitive.com/node/5417

how much tagamet to take?
 

how much tagamet did you take? i'm now recuperating from shingles and all the advice about taking it 3 times a day then 2 pills before bed is way too much for being now on the mend. i can't get any info on whether i should take just one tablet a day or 2. thanks:)

One has to be careful with Tagamet (cimetidine).

OTC in US is 200mg per tablet. 400mg is the beginning RX dose.

Tagamet interacts with other drugs, and affects the metabolism of some. This can change dosing of those other drugs.

This is a drug checker...I suggest anyone going to use Tagamet see if it interacts with other things you may be taking:

http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html

Take care!

You might give the amino acid L-lysine a try.
It worked for my dad within a week after 2 months of different meds did not. He now takes it whenever the shingles reappear, and it goes away.

It is also recomended that nuts, chocolate and sunflower seeds be avoided.

L-lysine and shingles:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/27...-and-shingles/

With love, Erika

I have had shingles since I was in my 30's you mean to tell me there is a link with that and MS??? I thought I got bitten by a bug or something because I had just been out in the park so the next time I broke out my dr saw it and told me what it was after testing it.

I have not had a break out in maybe a year some times it will go by for years and not get one. I just use the cream and it heals fast. but I only had it inside one time where there was no breakout and just the pain and that herpes meds is very nasty and made me sick I couldn't wait to stop taking never mind the embarrassment you feel going to pick it up.

you should be fine it clears up in days with meds. I use zovirax and it works just fine for breakouts of course if you have pain and no breakout you have to take pills but I am not taking those pills unless there is no breakout. it stays in this one spot under my thigh and my dr told me that it travels up the nerve in the right side of your body.

I thought Tagamet is a stomach med? I took it years ago for that, but never thought of it for Shingles? I couldn't take valtrex, made me sick. I only had it once...once is enough.:eek::eek::eek:

True, Tagamet is more commonly used as an ulcer medication; but apparently it also works to put shingles into remission.
L-lysine has fewer side effects and is probably less expensive though.

Shingles; , causes, Tx, medication, doses etc
Discussion onTagamet/Cimetidine is about 1/3 of the page down.http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcls-...rtcl-123.shtml

With love, Erika